In vitro and in vivo effects of methanolic extract of dietary ginger (Zingiber officinale) and onion (Allium cepa) supplementation on growth performance and fecal microbiota in Escherichia coli infected broiler chickens

The growing demand for poultry products has resulted in an increased reliance on antibiotic-free products. Consequently, there is an urgent need for innovative solutions to ensure the continued productivity and effectiveness of poultry production. The objective of the current study was to assess the impact of the methanolic extract derived from onion and ginger against the In vitro and in vivo infection of E. coli in broiler chickens. A total of 540 one-day-old (Hubbard) broiler chickens were assigned to 6 treatments, and each treatment had 5 replicates. The treatments were designated as negative control/NC, non-infected and non-treated, positive control/ PC, infected with E. coli, infected + antibiotic, onion and ginger methanolic extract (OGME) supplemented at the rate of 10 mg/kg (OGME10), 100 mg/kg (OGME100) and 1000 mg/kg (OGME1,000) of feed. Broiler chickens were reared in cages measuring 1.7 x 1.5 m and offered starter (1 to 21 d) and finisher (22 to 35 d) diets ad libitum with free access to water. Data such as feed intake, weight gain, feed conversion ratio (FCR), carcass yield, and fecal E. coli were recorded.. The results indicated that mean feed intake was significantly greater in OGME100 and NC, while significantly lowest feed intake was recorded for PC. Weight gain of the treatment OGME100 and OGME1000 was significantly greater compared to PC. Similarly, the best FCR was recorded in OGME1000 compared to the PC treatment. Carcass yield was significantly greater for treatment OGME 100 and OGME 1000. Fecal E. coli was significantly lower in OGME1000 compared to PC. It was concluded that onion and ginger methanolic extract fed at the concentration of 1000 mg/kg was the most effective dose in maintaining the growth and carcass quality and reduction of fecal microbial load in broiler chickens infected with experimentally induced E. coli infection.